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1989년 방북 당시 북한 김일성 주석을 아버지라 불렀다는 의혹을 샀던 임수경 민주당 의원이 해당 의혹을 제기한 새누리당과 언론사 등을 상대로 소송을 냈지만 패소했다.
서울중앙지법 민사25부(부장 장준현)는 임 의원이 “허위 사실을 퍼트려 명예를 훼손당했다”며 새누리당과 전광삼 새누리당 수석부대변인, 조선일보 등을 상대로 제기한 손해배상 소송에서 20일 원고 패소 판결했다.
재판부는 “해당 발언이 허위라는 것에 대한 입증책임은 임 의원에게 있다”고 전제한 뒤 “임 의원이 제출한 증거만으로는 임 의원이 방북 당시 해당 발언을 하지 않았다는 것을 인정하기에 부족하다”고 밝혔다.
반면 재판부는 ”탈북단체들은 임 의원 방북 당시 북한 TV에서 임 의원이 김일성을 ‘어버이 수령님’ 또는 ‘아버지 장군님’이라고 불렀다는 내용의 보도가 있었다고 주장하고 있다”며 “피고들이 해당 의혹을 진실이라 믿은 데 대한 상당성도 인정된다”고 인정했다.
재판부는 또 “공적인 존재의 정치적 이념에 대한 의혹이 있으면 널리 문제제기가 허용되고 공개토론을 받아야 할 필요가 있다”며 “피고 측의 논평ㆍ인터뷰ㆍ기사는 공익성이 인정된다”고 덧붙였다.
1989년 방북해 세계청년학생축전에 참여한 임 의원은 지난해 6월 “방북 당시 김일성 주석을 ‘아버지’라 불렀다”는 의혹이 제기되자 해당 의혹을 제기한 이들을 상대로 소송을 제기했다. (김성훈 기자)
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DP Lawmaker loses libel suit over ‘Kim Il-sung remarks’
Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Su-kyung on Wednesday lost a defamation suit against a lawmaker and a former spokesman of the ruling party, who claimed she called former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung “father” on a visit to Pyongyang.
“Although there is no evidence to prove the Saenuri Party’s accusation as true, (the comments) were neither malicious nor libelous enough to constitute as illegal,” the Seoul Central District Court said in its ruling. The court added that the comments, made by Saenuri lawmaker Han Ki-ho and former co-spokesman Jeon Kwang-sam, have “public benefits.”
“Back then, the public’s interest toward Lim’s political, ideological inclination had been amplified after her ‘traitor’ remarks, and (the comments by Saenuri) addressed Lim’s actions during her visits to North Korea,” the court said.
In June last year, Lim had a quarrel with a defector-turned-college student at a restaurant in Seoul. According to news outlets, Lim had called the student a “traitor” and he responded by saying the lawmaker called Kim Il-sung “father.”
After the incident, Han and Jeon claimed on local radio shows that Lim had addressed the deceased North Korean leader as father during her unauthorized trip to the communist country in 1989.
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
DP Lawmaker loses libel suit over ‘Kim Il-sung remarks’
Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Su-kyung on Wednesday lost a defamation suit against a lawmaker and a former spokesman of the ruling party, who claimed she called former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung “father” on a visit to Pyongyang.
“Although there is no evidence to prove the Saenuri Party’s accusation as true, (the comments) were neither malicious nor libelous enough to constitute as illegal,” the Seoul Central District Court said in its ruling. The court added that the comments, made by Saenuri lawmaker Han Ki-ho and former co-spokesman Jeon Kwang-sam, have “public benefits.”
“Back then, the public’s interest toward Lim’s political, ideological inclination had been amplified after her ‘traitor’ remarks, and (the comments by Saenuri) addressed Lim’s actions during her visits to North Korea,” the court said.
In June last year, Lim had a quarrel with a defector-turned-college student at a restaurant in Seoul. According to news outlets, Lim had called the student a “traitor” and he responded by saying the lawmaker called Kim Il-sung “father.”
After the incident, Han and Jeon claimed on local radio shows that Lim had addressed the deceased North Korean leader as father during her unauthorized trip to the communist country in 1989.
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
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